Can the Patriots win in the playoffs with young, inexperienced players, who have yet had a taste of what it takes to win the postseason?

During their Super Bowl runs in the early 2000s, the Patriots were led by core veterans like Tedy Bruschi, Troy Brown and Ty Law.

This season, the Patriots have seen their cast of seasoned vets go down with injuries, leading to rookies like Logan Ryan and Aaron Dobson forced into starting roles.

Mary Paoletti on Quick Slants discussed if age will play a factor in the postseason for the Patriots.

“This season, even with roster reshuffling in the offseason, the average age of the current Patriots team is about 26 years and it does appear a more mature squad,” Paoletti said. “And who beat them in last year’s AFC title game? A largely veteran battled hardened Ravens team. So which would you rather have in the postseason, talent or experience? The Patriots don’t really have a choice. They’ve got to go with what they got.”